|
||
|
|
||
|
|
Getting Around by Air
Destinations throughout Canada are served by Air Canada (website: www.aircanada.com), with main hubs at Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. It operates mostly on longer routes. Shorter, regional feeder routes are served by partner airline Air Canada Jazz (website: www.flyjazz.ca).
Calgary-based low-cost airline WestJet (website: www.westjet.com) is Canada's third-largest airline and serves more than 20 points in Canada from its main hubs of Calgary and Toronto and secondary hubs. Other regional carriers include Yukon-based Air North (website: www.flyairnorth.com) and a host of small outfits serving remote communities and wilderness areas.
Calgary-based low-cost airline WestJet (website: www.westjet.com) is Canada's third-largest airline and serves more than 20 points in Canada from its main hubs of Calgary and Toronto and secondary hubs. Other regional carriers include Yukon-based Air North (website: www.flyairnorth.com) and a host of small outfits serving remote communities and wilderness areas.
Getting Around by Water
Canada has many thousands of miles of navigable rivers and canals, a vast number of lakes and an extensive coastline. The whole country is well served by all manner of boats and ships, particularly the east and west coasts, where the ferries are fast, frequent and good value. The St Lawrence Seaway provides passage from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. For further details, see individual regional entries or contact the Visit Canada Centre.
The main ferry operator is BC Ferries (tel: (250) 386 3431; www.bcferries.com). It runs a number of services linking British Columbia's mainland with Vancouver Island as well as a route to the Queen Charlotte Islands and another through the Inside Passage.
The main ferry operator is BC Ferries (tel: (250) 386 3431; www.bcferries.com). It runs a number of services linking British Columbia's mainland with Vancouver Island as well as a route to the Queen Charlotte Islands and another through the Inside Passage.
Getting Around by Rail
VIA Rail Canada (tel: (514) 871 6000; website: www.viarail.ca) operates extensive services across Canada. The regional railways are Algoma Central (operates the Agawa Canyon Tour Train), British Columbia Railway, Great Canadian Railtour Company (operates the Rocky Mountaineer and Whistler Mountaineer), Ontario Northland (operates the Northlander, Little Bear, Polar Bear Express and Dream Catcher Express trains), Québec North Shore & Labrador, Tshiuetin Rail Transportation, Toronto Hamilton & Buffalo Railway and White Pass & Yukon Route.
VIA Rail operates a Western transcontinental service (the Canadian) between Toronto (Ontario) and Vancouver (British Columbia), running three times weekly east and west, transiting Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton and Jasper. Passengers are drawn to this route by the spectacular scenery of the three mountain ranges which are passed en route - the Rockies, the Selkirks and the Coastal. The route also features views of ancient glaciers, large lakes and waterfalls. The journey takes three days and all trains operating on this route include showers in the sleeping cars. The transcontinental service can be accessed by regular services from the Atlantic provinces and from Québec City and Montréal.
Rapid intercity services are available between Québec, Montréal, Halifax, Toronto, Windsor and Ottawa. On these journeys, the fare price includes a meal, snacks and drinks. VIA Rail also operates an overnight Eastern transcontinental service (the Ocean) between Montréal (Québec) and Halifax (Nova Scotia). Long-distance trains are extremely comfortable, with full restaurant services, air conditioning and spacious reclining seats. Other trains it operates include Edmonton-Jasper (the Snow Train Express) in winter, Jasper-Prince Rupert (the Skeena), Victoria-Courtenay (the Malahat) and Winnipeg-Churchill (the Hudson Bay).
The Rocky Mountaineer service (tel: (604) 606 7245; website: www.rockymountaineer.com) runs from April to October and offers the opportunity to travel between Calgary, Banff and Vancouver, or Jasper and Vancouver, during daylight hours, enabling passengers to view the extraordinary passing scenery. The Whistler Mountaineer (tel: (604) 606 8460; website: www.whistlermountaineer.com) operates from North Vancouver to Whistler, taking three hours. It links on to Rocky Mountaineer's Fraser Discovery Route, which takes two days and goes from Whistler to Jasper, with an overnight stay in old gold mining town Quesnel.
For visitors seeking a route into the Canadian wilderness, the Polar Bear Express (tel: (705) 272 5338; website: www.polarbearexpress.ca), Toronto-North Bay-Cochrane- Moosonee, runs daily (except Monday) from late June to early September. Passengers are advised to make hotel reservations in Moosonee in advance.
Particularly scenic routes include Sault Ste Marie-Eton-Hearst (with superb views of the Montréal River and hundreds of lakes), Winnipeg-Hudson Bay-Churchill, Jasper-Prince George-Prince Rupert (with exceptional scenery between Burns Lake and Prince Rupert), Victoria-Courtenay (along sheer cliffs to Malahat Summit with good views of Vancouver Island) and Vancouver-Whistler (along the fjord-like coast of Howe Sound, then the craggy cliffs and rushing white-water streams in the heavily forested Cheakamus Canyon to Alta Lake).
VIA Rail also offers tailor-made adventure rail trips (VIA Adventures) to far-flung destinations, some of which are inaccessible by road, offering drop-off and pick-up services and special facilities for carrying bulky items such as canoes and bicycles.
Rail Passes
VIA Rail operates a Western transcontinental service (the Canadian) between Toronto (Ontario) and Vancouver (British Columbia), running three times weekly east and west, transiting Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton and Jasper. Passengers are drawn to this route by the spectacular scenery of the three mountain ranges which are passed en route - the Rockies, the Selkirks and the Coastal. The route also features views of ancient glaciers, large lakes and waterfalls. The journey takes three days and all trains operating on this route include showers in the sleeping cars. The transcontinental service can be accessed by regular services from the Atlantic provinces and from Québec City and Montréal.
Rapid intercity services are available between Québec, Montréal, Halifax, Toronto, Windsor and Ottawa. On these journeys, the fare price includes a meal, snacks and drinks. VIA Rail also operates an overnight Eastern transcontinental service (the Ocean) between Montréal (Québec) and Halifax (Nova Scotia). Long-distance trains are extremely comfortable, with full restaurant services, air conditioning and spacious reclining seats. Other trains it operates include Edmonton-Jasper (the Snow Train Express) in winter, Jasper-Prince Rupert (the Skeena), Victoria-Courtenay (the Malahat) and Winnipeg-Churchill (the Hudson Bay).
The Rocky Mountaineer service (tel: (604) 606 7245; website: www.rockymountaineer.com) runs from April to October and offers the opportunity to travel between Calgary, Banff and Vancouver, or Jasper and Vancouver, during daylight hours, enabling passengers to view the extraordinary passing scenery. The Whistler Mountaineer (tel: (604) 606 8460; website: www.whistlermountaineer.com) operates from North Vancouver to Whistler, taking three hours. It links on to Rocky Mountaineer's Fraser Discovery Route, which takes two days and goes from Whistler to Jasper, with an overnight stay in old gold mining town Quesnel.
For visitors seeking a route into the Canadian wilderness, the Polar Bear Express (tel: (705) 272 5338; website: www.polarbearexpress.ca), Toronto-North Bay-Cochrane- Moosonee, runs daily (except Monday) from late June to early September. Passengers are advised to make hotel reservations in Moosonee in advance.
Particularly scenic routes include Sault Ste Marie-Eton-Hearst (with superb views of the Montréal River and hundreds of lakes), Winnipeg-Hudson Bay-Churchill, Jasper-Prince George-Prince Rupert (with exceptional scenery between Burns Lake and Prince Rupert), Victoria-Courtenay (along sheer cliffs to Malahat Summit with good views of Vancouver Island) and Vancouver-Whistler (along the fjord-like coast of Howe Sound, then the craggy cliffs and rushing white-water streams in the heavily forested Cheakamus Canyon to Alta Lake).
VIA Rail also offers tailor-made adventure rail trips (VIA Adventures) to far-flung destinations, some of which are inaccessible by road, offering drop-off and pick-up services and special facilities for carrying bulky items such as canoes and bicycles.
Canrailpass: allows unlimited journeys anywhere on the VIA network for 12 days (up to three extra days can be added to the pass at any time) within a 30-day period, and is only valid on VIA Rail trains. There is also a Student Canrailpass available to holders of International Student Cards (ISIC) and a Senior Canrailpass available to those aged 60 and over. There is a reduced fare for children.
Corridorpass: gives 10 days of unlimited rail travel in southern Quebec and southern Ontario.
Alaska Pass: offers eight, 12, 15 or 21 days' travel within Alaska and British Columbia, including travel on Alaska Ferry, Alaska Railroad, one-way car hire and White Pass & Yukon Railroad (website: www.alaskapass.com).
Corridorpass: gives 10 days of unlimited rail travel in southern Quebec and southern Ontario.
Alaska Pass: offers eight, 12, 15 or 21 days' travel within Alaska and British Columbia, including travel on Alaska Ferry, Alaska Railroad, one-way car hire and White Pass & Yukon Railroad (website: www.alaskapass.com).
Getting Around by Road
Traffic drives on the right. The Canadian road network covers vast distances as the country is over 7,600km (4,800 miles) from west to east and 4,800km (3,000 miles) from north to south. The longest road is the Trans-Canada Highway (website: www.transcanadahighway.com), running west to east for 8,000km (5,000 miles) from Victoria, British Columbia to St John's, Newfoundland. On country roads, visitors should be mindful of wild animals that may be roaming, such as deer or moose. The Canadian Automobile Association (tel: (613) 247 0117; website: www.caa.ca) is affiliated to most European organisations, giving full use of facilities to members.
Coach: One of the cheapest and most convenient ways of travelling the country apart from private motoring is by coach. Each region is well-served by a large network of coach lines, the most extensive being Greyhound Canada (tel: (403) 265 9111 or 1 800 661 8747; website: www.greyhound.ca), which serves almost 1,100 locations within Canada. The Greyhound Discovery Pass offers international passengers travel over periods of seven, 10, 15, 30 and 60 days and includes travel on all scheduled routes of a number of partner coach operators in the USA and Canada and economy travel between Montréal and Toronto and Montréal-Ottawa on VIA Rail. Gray Line is another bus company that offers excursions to major Canadian resorts (website: www.grayline.ca).
Canada also has regional bus services, the most important of which include:
Atlantic Canada: Acadian Lines, DRL Coachlines and SMT Eastern.
Central Canada: Coach Canada, Grey Goose Bus Lines, Orleans Express and Saskatchewan Transportation.
West Canada: Brewster and Pacific Coach Lines.
Other coach companies operating in Canada include Arctic Frontier Carriers: Hay River to Yellowknife.
The Moose Travel Network (website: www.moosetravelnetwork.com) offers a 'jump on, jump off' service for backpackers and independent travellers.
Besides long-distance travel, all these companies operate a range of services, such as regional tours and escorted sightseeing for groups. RoutPass (www.routpass.com) runs between May and December. It offers seven-, 14- and 18-day passes for unlimited bus travel in Ontario and Québec, the 18-day pass also allowing travel to New York with the option of buying an extra three days' travel. Contact individual operators for details.
Car hire: Available in all cities and from airports to full licence holders over 21 years of age. For some car hire companies drivers may need to be at least 25 years old. Major international companies offer cars in locations throughout Canada.
Regulations: Road signs are international. Right turns on red lights are not permitted in some parts of Québec. Speed limits are 100kph (60mph) on motorways, 80kph (55mph) on rural highways and 50kph (30mph) in cities. Seat belts are compulsory for all passengers and child car seats must be used by small children. Radar detection devices are strictly prohibited in many states and may not be carried in automobiles. Studded tyres are illegal in Ontario, but are permitted, without seasonal limitations, in the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan and Yukon, and are allowed only in winter in other provinces. Many provinces require drivers to keep headlights on during the day.
Note: The official date on which winter begins varies from province to province.
Documentation: It is advised to apply for an International Driving Permit. Visitors may drive on their national driving licences for up to three months in all provinces, with the following exceptions: Yukon - one month; Prince Edward Island - four months; British Columbia, New Brunswick and Québec - six months.
Coach: One of the cheapest and most convenient ways of travelling the country apart from private motoring is by coach. Each region is well-served by a large network of coach lines, the most extensive being Greyhound Canada (tel: (403) 265 9111 or 1 800 661 8747; website: www.greyhound.ca), which serves almost 1,100 locations within Canada. The Greyhound Discovery Pass offers international passengers travel over periods of seven, 10, 15, 30 and 60 days and includes travel on all scheduled routes of a number of partner coach operators in the USA and Canada and economy travel between Montréal and Toronto and Montréal-Ottawa on VIA Rail. Gray Line is another bus company that offers excursions to major Canadian resorts (website: www.grayline.ca).
Canada also has regional bus services, the most important of which include:
Atlantic Canada: Acadian Lines, DRL Coachlines and SMT Eastern.
Central Canada: Coach Canada, Grey Goose Bus Lines, Orleans Express and Saskatchewan Transportation.
West Canada: Brewster and Pacific Coach Lines.
Other coach companies operating in Canada include Arctic Frontier Carriers: Hay River to Yellowknife.
The Moose Travel Network (website: www.moosetravelnetwork.com) offers a 'jump on, jump off' service for backpackers and independent travellers.
Besides long-distance travel, all these companies operate a range of services, such as regional tours and escorted sightseeing for groups. RoutPass (www.routpass.com) runs between May and December. It offers seven-, 14- and 18-day passes for unlimited bus travel in Ontario and Québec, the 18-day pass also allowing travel to New York with the option of buying an extra three days' travel. Contact individual operators for details.
Car hire: Available in all cities and from airports to full licence holders over 21 years of age. For some car hire companies drivers may need to be at least 25 years old. Major international companies offer cars in locations throughout Canada.
Regulations: Road signs are international. Right turns on red lights are not permitted in some parts of Québec. Speed limits are 100kph (60mph) on motorways, 80kph (55mph) on rural highways and 50kph (30mph) in cities. Seat belts are compulsory for all passengers and child car seats must be used by small children. Radar detection devices are strictly prohibited in many states and may not be carried in automobiles. Studded tyres are illegal in Ontario, but are permitted, without seasonal limitations, in the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan and Yukon, and are allowed only in winter in other provinces. Many provinces require drivers to keep headlights on during the day.
Note: The official date on which winter begins varies from province to province.
Documentation: It is advised to apply for an International Driving Permit. Visitors may drive on their national driving licences for up to three months in all provinces, with the following exceptions: Yukon - one month; Prince Edward Island - four months; British Columbia, New Brunswick and Québec - six months.
Getting Around Towns and Cities
Bus: Metropolitan buses operate on a flat-fare system (standard fares, irrespective of distance travelled). Fares must be paid exactly, which means that drivers do not carry change or issue tickets. Transfers should be requested when boarding a bus.
Journey Times
The following chart gives approximate journey times from Ottawa (in hours and minutes) to other major cities/towns in Canada.
| Air | Road | Rail | |
| Toronto | 1.00 | 5.00 | 4.00 |
| Montréal | 0.30 | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Winnipeg | 2.30 | 32.00 | 32.00 |
| Vancouver | 5.00 | 62.00 | 75.00 |